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Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright once said
that an architect’s most useful tool is an eraser at the
drafting board.
How times have changed. The eraser and drafting board have been
replaced by state-of-the-art digital capabilities, including some
of the most sophisticated CAD software in the world. However, one
thing has remained unchanged since Mr. Wright’s first
pioneering work: the importance of respecting and protecting the
product of one’s creativity. Today, just as in the
industry’s earliest days, it is wrong for an architect to
steal another’s designs and drawings.
The Importance of Respecting Intellectual
Property
The principle of respect and protection for creativity applies not
only to designs and drawings architects create but to the software
tools they use. The cutting-edge CAD software that makes
architecture firms so efficient and productive requires an enormous
investment of people, money, and time on the part of software
developers. Yet, too often, that software is duplicated and
distributed throughout a company -- with no recompense to the
developer. This kind of intellectual property theft is called
software piracy. It is illegal but unfortunately commonplace.
Pirated software deprives developers of the compensation and
incentives needed to continually innovate and invent the next
generation of digital tools. According to a 2003 study*, the CEOs
of the world’s leading commercial software companies believe
that only 25 percent of the benefits of digital innovation have
been realized. To fully take advantage of those benefits --
across all software-dependent professions -- developers cannot
be limited in their ability to innovate.
If software developers become limited in their ability to create
the next generation of digital production tools, where does this
leave architects? The answer is apparent: without the resources
required to create next-generation architectural design. Software
piracy stifles creativity and limits the ability of the
architecture industry to forge ahead into the next generation of
design.
The Harm of Software Piracy
According to a Business Software Alliance (BSA) study**, the
distribution of unlicensed software is a $2 billion-a-year problem
in the United States alone, totaling more than $13 billion
worldwide. As the leading international organization promoting a
safe and legal digital world, BSA educates companies and
individuals about the risks of using unlicensed software globally.
BSA has found that many professionals don’t realize how easy
it is for software to be unlawfully copied within their company or
how severe the consequences can be. Under U.S. law, civil-damage
awards for software piracy are up to $150,000 per each program
copied. In some cases, criminal prosecution is possible.
But legal troubles aren’t the only risk faced by companies
that use unlicensed software. Users may not know what they are
going to get if they use a pirated copy of a program. Unlicensed
software use jeopardizes the integrity of a firm’s entire IT
network by increasing the potential for computer viruses, security
flaws, or degradation in program performance.
Fortunately, all architecture firms can take some simple steps to
guard against pirated software and become software-compliant in the
ever-changing digital age. BSA has created these “best
practices” not only to protect businesses but also to protect
the integrity of today’s software-dependent professions.
1. Develop a Software Management Policy
This policy should cover software acquisition and installation
procedures as well as acceptable uses. In addition, it should
express the company’s goals to use only legal software and
manage it for maximum benefit.
2. Communicate Policy to Employees
Once the policy is in place, employees need to understand it.
Placing it in the employee handbook, conducting training sessions,
and posting regular notices are effective ways of educating
employees.
3. Centralize the Process
One person or one team should be responsible for overseeing the
company’s software management efforts, including the purchase
and installation of new software.
4. Recognize Software as an Asset
Proper software is essential for designing and conducting business
in the modern world. Software must be treated as an asset and
budgeted accordingly.
5. Stay Compliant
A company should conduct regularly scheduled audits to ensure it
has enough licenses to support the software it has installed.
BSA’s Web site, www.bsa.org/usa, provides free,
downloadable tools that will help a company through this
process.
The architecture industry thrives on creative innovation, which can
come only about when professionals respect the boundaries of
intellectual property ownership. Software developers deserve that
same respect.
For more information about software piracy or to report software
theft, contact BSA at 1.888.NO.PIRACY or www.bsa.org/usa.
* “Enabling Tomorrow’s Innovation,” white paper, IDC
and BSA, October 2003.
** “2003 Global Software Piracy Study,” International
Planning and Research Corp., June 2003.
Bob Kruger joined the Business Software Alliance (BSA) in
1993 as vice president of enforcement. The BSA is a global
organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., that represents the
world’s leading commercial software companies. Kruger has led
BSA’s North American anti-piracy program since its inception,
overseeing thousands of enforcement actions in the United States
and Canada. Under his direction, BSA works closely with law
enforcement authorities on criminal prosecutions and with
policymakers to ensure adequate protection for intellectual
property rights. Kruger also spearheads BSA’s global strategy
for combating piracy on the Internet.
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